Composers and Authors
Eternity's Sun Rise (Blake)
By John Peterson
Regular price
$35.00
Texts from the writings of William Blake
composed 1995
Download samples
- 1. Auguries of Innocence - sheet music
- 2. On Another's Sorrow - sheet music
- 3. Holy Thursday - sheet music
- 4. Endless Night - sheet music
- 5. Eternity - sheet music
- Audio samples:
- Auguries of Innocence, c.2'00
- On Another's Sorrow, c.2'40
- Holy Thursday, c2'40
- Endless Night, c.2'30
- Eternity, c.2'40
Recorded by Wendy Dixon and David Miller on Australian Song Cycles Vol 1 (Wirr036) available online
ISMN M720060941
$30.00 for instant PDF download
Fabulous Beasts
By John Peterson
Regular price
$80.00
The music is inspired by two mythical creatures: Chimera and Cerberus - composite creatures where their bodies are made up of different parts taken from different animals. In the first movement Chimera is constantly in conflict with itself - its movements and personality being pulled in different directions. In the second movement, Cerberus, being a more noble beast with three heads working together in order to become a much more efficient and fearful creature. Commissioned by David Rowdon and the Sydney Omega Ensemble. Composed 2012
Download samples
ISMN 9790720126944
$60.00 for instant PDF download score and parts
Five Bagatelles
By John Peterson
Regular price
$30.00
These five short pieces were written in order to explore the wide range, the versalitity and agility, and also the expressive qualities of the Bb clarinet. Composed 2009
Download samples
- Five Bagatelles 1 - sheet music
- Five Bagatelles 2 - sheet music
- Five Bagatelles 3 - sheet music
- Five Bagatelles 4 - sheet music
- Five Bagatelles 5 - sheet music
ISMN 9790720106380
Five Islands
By John Peterson
Regular price
$25.00
Inspired by five islands off the coast of Wollongong. Dedicated to Peter Sculthorpe.
Composed 2001
Recorded by John Martin on the CD, Ancient Rivers (Wirr 006) available online
Download samples
- 1. Flinders Island - sheet music
- 1. Flinders Island - audio, c.2'00
- 2. Rocky Island - sheet music
- 2. Rocky Island - audio, c.2'30
- 3. Bass Island - sheet music
- 3. Bass Island - audio, c.1'50
- 4. Martin Island - sheet music
- 4. Martin Island - audio, c.2'00
- 5. Parkyns Island - sheet music
- 5. Parkyns Island - audio, c1'40
Illawarra Dances
By John Peterson
Regular price
$80.00
The music is in two main sections constructing melodies out of short repetitive fragments with energetic rhythmic ostinato patterns. Rhythmic impetus is one of the principal elements in Illawarra Dances. The rhythmic devices employed include the use of additive rhythms (alternating bars of 11/8 and 13/8) in the second main section of the piece that, along with the syncopated rhythms in the first section, continually propel the music along.
Composed 2009
Download samples
ISMN 9790720093901
Illawarra Music
By John Peterson
Regular price
$300.00
Three movements for orchestra, c.16'30.
The central section of Illawarra Music was inspired by the presence of the Pacific Ocean and of Lake Illawarra. The music is a nocturne, associated with the visual image of the moonlight reflected in the waters, and of the night-time gradually becoming day as the sun rises - very quiet at the beginning scored only for harp, piano and keyboard percussion, and gently ebbs and flows, making use of repetitive melodic cells that are grouped in five-bar phrases. As the music progresses, it continues to build, slowly but inexorably, adding more and more instruments to the texture, growing subtly louder and louder until it reaches a climax representing the full rays of the morning sun being reflected in the waters of the lake and the ocean. Composed 2000
Download sheet music samples
ISMN 9790720140315
$190.00 for instant PDF download score and parts (302 pages)
Imaginary Perspectives
By John Peterson
Regular price
$80.00
Immortal Spark, The
By John Peterson
Regular price
$90.00
Impressions of Shanghai
By John Peterson
Regular price
$20.00
This is a short work inspired by the modern skyline of the Chinese city of Shanghai. The music falls into two parts: in the first part the music is relatively slow-paced and mostly made up of chords built out of fourths, and the second part of the piece the music is fast-paced with melodic contours that rise and fall across a wide range of the keyboard. Composed 2010
Download samples
ISMN 9790720106397
In the Twilight (piano 4 hands)
By John Peterson
Regular price
$25.00
In the Twilight attempts to capture the enervated and sometimes lethargic qualities inherent in a sunny late afternoon, as the day begins to give way to the night. There is an effortless and easy flow to music in the opening section, evoking the warmth of the sun and its slow and steady but inevitable movement towards the western horizon. The middle section, set in the Aeolian minor mode on C, is almost dream-like: a simple and languorous melody floats across rhythmically active but delicate bass figurations that provide subtle counterpoint to the main melody. There is beauty in the moment, but also some regret as we realise the sun is disappearing and the day ending. Thus, in the final section, the music returns to that of the opening of the piece, although the main melody now rhythmically set to the rhythm of a waltz: it is as if, drunk on the effects of the last warmth of the sun, we dance briefly in a wistful manner to celebrate the moment. The outer sections of this piece feature the Lydian mode, one of my personal favourites when composing: the key features of this mode are the major 3rd, augmented 4th, and major 7th degrees of the scale, all of which, for me, provide added poignancy to the music.
Recorded on Incantations by Jeanell Carrigan, available online
Composed 2023Download samples
Incantations
By John Peterson
Regular price
$60.00
10 pieces for piano solo. Advanced level of difficulty
Incantations is a set of ten evocative piano pieces that are intended to be musical representations of a variety of experiences taken from everyday life. While the concept for each piece originated in experiences from my own life, I do feel the essence of these experiences is something common enough to be recognisable, and thus able to be appreciated, by almost everyone.
Why the title ‘Incantations’? An ‘incantation’ is usually understood to be a type of formula that can be either spoken, sung or chanted, and which is intended to have a magical effect on a particular person (or even on particular objects), and it can also be something that is performed during ceremonial rituals or prayers. I think that music, in general, has many of these same qualities: music of all styles and genres can affect us personally in vividly evocative, deeply emotional, and sometimes even in remarkable and unexpected ways and, as such, I feel music can have a type of ‘magical’ or transformative effect upon us as individuals. Thus, for me, these piano pieces have an evocative power much like the inherent power of an incantation. I have also chosen to interpret the word ‘incantation’ as referring to a melody, or a melodic fragment, that is repeated not only in order to enhance its effectiveness, but also to support the generative qualities that enable its mystical powers. Thus, I have grouped these ten disparate pieces under the singular title of ‘Incantations’ because they are all based, in one form or another, on quite small amounts of melodic material that is not only repeated but is also constantly varied and expanded upon within a variety of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic contexts.
- 1. Performing a Solemn Ritual, c.3'20
- 2. Falling Under a Spell (Enchantment), c.4'05
- 3. Riding the Waves, c.3'35
- 4. Entering the Great Cathedral, c.3'55
- 5. Running the Gauntlet, c.4'20
- 6. Amid the Chaos: an Invocation, c.3'30
- 7. City of Industry, c.4'40
- 8. Across the Oceans (Deep and Blue), c.5'20
- 9. In the Twilight, c.4'10
- 10. Rush Hour, c.4'30
Composed 2022
Download samples
- Incantations - sheet music
- Incantations - audio (available soon)
ISMN 9790673141544
Incantations - CD
By John Peterson
Regular price
$25.00
70 minutes of delightful, evocative, well crafted piano music by an internationally renowned and confident composer and responded to in sensitively to colour and mood with such musical intuition.
Download samples
Incantations (2022)
- 1. Performing a Solemn Ritual
- 2. Falling Under a Spell (Enchantment)
- 3. Riding the Waves
- 4. Entering the Great Cathedral
- 5. Running the Gauntlet
- 6. Amid the Chaos: an invocation
- 7. City of Industry
- 8. Across the Oceans (Deep and Blue)
- 9. In the Twilight
- 10. Rush Hour
Five Islands (2001)
- 11. Flinders Island
- 12. Rocky Island
- 13. Bass Island
- 14. Martin Island
- 15. Parkyns Island
Pacific Ocean Blue (2001)
Moon-Struck (2018)
- 17. New Moon
- 18. The Dark Side of the Moon
- 19. Full Moon
Sheet music and samples are available for all these works online
Digital downloads of complete tracks from your preferred streaming sites available here